Children’s coalition demands action as mental health problems soar over 500%
A leading coalition of children’s services providers is challenging the next Scottish Government to deliver decisive action to help vulnerable children after a dramatic surge in additional support needs (ASN) conditions among Scotland’s pupils.
New analysis of Scottish Government data reveals a sharp rise in complex needs over the past decade. Between 2015 and 2025:
- Mental health problems have surged by 526 per cent
- Communication support needs have risen by 296 per cent
- Autism spectrum disorder has increased by 252 per cent
- Interrupted learning has jumped by 497 per cent
- Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties are up 144 per cent
- Physical health problems have grown by 142 per cent
- Dyslexia has increased by 129 per cent
- Substance misuse has increased by 245 per cent
Overall, the number of pupils identified with ASN has almost doubled—from 153,143 to 299,445—now accounting for 43 per cent of all pupils, experiencing an increased complexity of need.2
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education for vulnerable children and young people, has warned that rising need is being met with falling support and called for greater long-term investment to address this.
Despite the sharp increase in demand:
- Specialist ASN teacher numbers have dropped from 3,038 in 2015 to 2,864 in 2025.
- Educational psychologist numbers have barely shifted, rising from 370 to 396 over the same period.
The SCSC notes that the gap between need and provision is being driven by a combination of improved diagnosis, the lasting impact of Covid-19, social media pressures, and the cost-of-living crisis.
Associated with this, we are witnessing increasing levels of classroom disruption, a key cause of this being the increase in the number of those with ASN, who are not receiving the support they are entitled to.
The SCSC has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of mainstreaming—where pupils are educated in mainstream classrooms unless exceptional circumstances apply—warning that without adequate support, it is failing many children.
An SCSC spokesperson said:
“The next Scottish Government must take decisive action in supporting those with ASN. The scale of this increase in need is staggering—but the support simply isn’t keeping pace.
“Too many children with ASN are being left without the help they are entitled to. That is failing them, their classmates, their teachers and support staff.
“Mainstreaming can work—but not without the resources to back it up. Right now, that support just isn’t there, and we are seeing the consequences in rising classroom disruption and unmet need.
“The next Scottish Government must act decisively, providing adequate support for children and young people with ASN, who disproportionately come from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.”
Reasons for support for pupils with ASN (pupils may have more than one reason for additional support).
| Reason for support | 2025 | 2015 | Per cent change on 2015 |
| Total | Total | ||
| Dyslexia | 39,036 | 17,034 | 129 |
| Other specific learning difficulty (e.g. numeric) | 30,720 | 17,552 | 75 |
| Other moderate learning difficulty | 30,484 | 23,228 | 31 |
| Visual impairment | 5,739 | 3,839 | 49.5 |
| Hearing impairment | 4,376 | 2,738 | 59 |
| Deaf blind | 64 | 47 | 42.5 |
| Physical or motor impairment | 8,618 | 7,528 | 14.5 |
| Language or speech disorder | 20,758 | 14,704 | 41 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 41,285 | 11,722 | 252 |
| Social, emotional and behavioural difficulty | 77,405 | 31,684 | 144 |
| Physical health problem | 21,961 | 9,059 | 142 |
| Mental health problem | 14,638 | 2,338 | 526 |
| Interrupted learning | 15,931 | 2,669 | 497 |
| English as an additional language | 61,107 | 21,997 | 178 |
| Looked after | 10,673 | 7,530 | 42 |
| More able pupil | 3,075 | 3,123 | -1.5 |
| Communication Support Needs | 19,374 | 4,894 | 296 |
| Young Carer | 10,302 | 1,653 | 523 |
| Bereavement | 7,261 | 1,304 | 457 |
| Substance Misuse | 762 | 221 | 245 |
| Family Issues | 31,865 | 9,700 | 228.5 |
| Risk of Exclusion | 2,610 | 925 | 182 |
| Learning disability | 12,241 | 15,324 | -20 |
| Other | 25,406 | 14,156 | 79.5 |
-ENDS-
For further information, please contact Alex Orr, Policy Adviser to the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition, on 0131 603 8996 or contact@thescsc.org.uk.
Notes to Editors
About the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) is an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, as well as support to their families or carers.
It seeks to improve the lives of these children and young people, and its vision is to make Scotland the best place in the world for them to grow up in.
The SCSC aims to achieve this through campaigning to improve support for these vulnerable individuals. This seeks to ensure that a wide range of high-quality, well-resourced and easily accessible services is provided. Tailored to individual needs, this will help them to achieve their full potential.
Members of the SCSC are:
- Falkland House School: An independent school based in Fife that specialises in the education and care of boys who require additional support for learning.
- LOVE Care: An education and social care provider that uses innovative ways to engage vulnerable individuals in learning and raise their attainment. This includes supporting children and young people through intensive early years programmes, as well as in the classroom and outside the education system.
- Spark of Genius: An organisation that offers residential care, education, autism services, post-16 employability programmes and adult services.
- Young Foundations: An organisation that specialises in the care of children and young people who have a range of complex needs.
Further information about the SCSC can be found at www.thescsc.org.uk.